The best pizzas in Chicago right now

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The best pizzas in Chicago right now

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A pan pizza.Photograph: Garrett Sweet

Photograph: Garrett Sweet

From saucy deep dish to flame-kissed Neapolitan pies, these are the best slices (and squares) in Chicago.

Morgan Olsen

Global Food & Drink Editor

The question of who dishes out the best pizza in Chicago is a contentious one, spurring arguments about what’s the best regional style and what restaurants do each version justice. Almost every Chicagoan has a strong preference when it comes to who serves the best deep dish pizza, but the city’s pizza scene casts a wide net. Thin crust, tavern-style has its own claim to being the real Chicago-style pizza, and you can also find the city's best Italian restaurants serving traditional Neapolitan pies, Detroit-style squares loaded with quirky toppings, and even New York-style slices. Whether you’re ordering takeout or delivery or plan to dig in while the cheese is still bubbling, check out our guide to the best pizza spots in Chicago to find your new favorite.

RECOMMENDED: Discover more of the best restaurants in Chicago

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Top pizzas in Chicago

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

If you’ve lived in Chicago long enough, chances are you already have a favorite pan pizza. Milly’s fantastic pies, though, may test your allegiances. Owner Robert Maleski started making pizzas during the pandemic in a ghost kitchen and now has his own restaurants in Uptown and Berwyn. Inspired by local legend Burt Katz, the dough is baked with a ring of mozzarella around it, resulting in a caramelized crust. Maleski tops the cheese and sauce with a host of ingredients and dollops of fresh mozzarella. We’re big fans of the Craiglist.org, a winning combination of sausage, mushrooms, peppadew peppers, red onions, tomatoes, spinach and ricotta. Availability is limited, so it’s best to order ahead.

https://media.timeout.com/images/105925010/image.jpgJeffy Mai Editor, Time Out Chicago

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpghttps://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpghttps://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/105925010/image.jpgJeffy Mai Editor, Time Out Chicago

Golf ball-sized pieces of sausage are arranged in a neat grid atop thin crust at Villa Nova, which has been serving some of the best tavern-style pizza in the Chicago suburbs since 1955. Those who prefer a slightly thicker crust can opt for the double dough to load up with extra toppings like giardiniera and green olives. There’s no dining room, so order ahead for pickup.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editorhttps://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpghttps://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

Forno Rosso owner Nick Nitti studied in Naples to learn to make traditional Neapolitan pizza before opening restaurants in Dunning and the West Loop. Pies bake for about a minute in a wood-burning oven and are typically eaten with a fork and knife, with red and white options including the Carbonara with pancetta, egg and cracked black pepper, and the Barese with rapini, locally sourced sausage and imported burrata. Save room for dessert and order a pizza topped with nutella, bananas, strawberries and powdered sugar.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editorhttps://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

In a flip that epitomized 2020, Bite Cafe transformed into Pizza Friendly Pizza, a scrappy but hopeful collaboration between friends Noah Sandoval (Oriole, Kumiko) and Bruce Finkelman, the managing partner of 16" on Center (Empty Bottle, Bite Cafe). Like its name suggests, the star of the menu is pizza—more specifically, thick Sicilian-style 'za that sports a bubbly crust that's anchored by crispy, caramelized edges. During patio season, head to the alley behind the building, where you'll find a small window plus several tables with plants hanging overhead.

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editorhttps://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

Welcome to the “Nine Levels of Hell”: poblano peppers, pepperoni, giardiniera, bacon, fresh garlic, jalapeño, sausage, red onion and banana peppers, together forming the “Inferno.” This pizza sounds terrifying, but trust us, it won’t hurt. The heat’s present but mild-mannered, the thin crust is pleasantly chewy, and the thing is huge. There’s also a vegan version made with sausage and pepperoni from Palermo’s Unreal Foods. If that’s too intense, just stop in for a jumbo slice of pepperoni.

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editorhttps://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

https://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

Brian Tondryk followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Gino’s East co-founder Fred Bartoli, by opening Bartoli’s Pizzeria in Roscoe Village in 2013 and adding a West Town location in 2020. The restaurants serve both deep dish and tavern-style pizza, with signature pies including the Union Stockyard made with Italian sausage, bacon, pepperoni, prosciutto and Italian beef, and The Diavolo, a spicy blend of soppressata, capocollo, ricotta, Calabrian chili peppers and Mike’s Hot Honey.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpghttps://media.timeout.com/images/105799549/image.jpgMorgan Olsen Global Food & Drink Editor

A haven for East Coast transplants, Crushed serves 12- and 16-inch pies, with favorites including the Louie made with sausage, spicy capicola, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, cremini mushrooms and the signature crushed tomato sauce, and the Venus, which features sausage, shaved parmesan and caramelized onions. Customize your pie with add-ons including garlic butter sauce, sriracha ranch and pickled jalapeños. Crushed also offer a rotating selection of craft sodas.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106026543/image.jpg

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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